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Earl Dwain "Gube" Watson died Thursday, August 17, 2017 at a Conway, AR hospital. He was 83 years old. Born October 4, 1933 in the Cobb Creek area of Madison County AR, he was the second child of Clarence Nolan "C.N." and Hazel Dessie Boyd Watson. He was delivered at their home by Dr. Acree. He attended Cob Creek Elementary School through eighth grade and graduated from Huntsville High School in 1951. He played college football in Colorado for one semester before returning to Huntsville, where he helped his father with the family grocery store and running the sale barn.He enlisted in the Navy and traveled by bus to the U.S. Naval Training Center in San Diego, California in the summer of 1953. Upon completion of training, he went first to Japan, then Korea. After six months, he was flown back to Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA, to complete 30 days of training, driving a bulldozer, for the Construction Battalion, CB, known as the "sea bees". His group was sent with the First Marine Division to Korea. He said, "of the 23 originally in my group, only eight came back."After Korea, he went to the Philippine Islands, where he drove a bulldozer to cut landing strips for U.S. fighter airplanes out of the sides of the mountains. He served in Korea for 2 years. He also served as a driver for an officer.After his service, he returned to Huntsville and was a truck driver for Willis Shaw Trucking Co. He married Colleen Jeanette Gay Morton on Feb. 25, 1961 and they lived in Hindsville for a while before moving to the Huntsville area.Over the remaining years he worked in civil service and law enforcement for several agencies, including the Arkansas State Forestry; Civil Defense; Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) and an armored truck company. He farmed and raised cattle and hogs in Berryville, and also managed a dairy and chicken farm in Witter.He and Colleen also lived in Jacksonville, Fayetteville and Elm Springs, AR, before moving to Grove, OK, where she passed in 2010. They had been married 49 years. In 2015 he moved to an assisted living center in Fairfield Bay, AR.He is survived by his son, Dwain Alan "Rusty" Watson and his fiancée Missy Corsini, of Damascus AR; step-daughter, Gaylene Morton Long and her husband, Mark Daniel Long, of Collinsville, OK; four grandchildren and their spouses, Chase and Erica Vandiver Watson of Bryant, AR; Brittnee Capshaw Davie and Andrew Davie of Rogers, AR; Russell Isaac Long and Elizabeth Schenk Long of Albuquerque, NM; Jessica Ruth Long Davis and Joshua David Davis of Collinsville, OK, and two great-grandchildren, Harper and Drew Davie. He is also survived by his four siblings: brothers, Eugene Watson and his wife Lois Watson , and Jim Watson of Huntsville; and sisters, Judy Watson Gaines of Kemah, TX, and Donna Watson Buell and her husband Brian Buell of Fayetteville, AR, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother-in- law, Joe Gaines, and sister-in-law, Sue Jo Watson, as well as his parents.Graveside services will be held at noon Wednesday, August 23, at the Huntsville Cemetery with Jeff Watson, Minister officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Brashears Funeral Home www.brashearsfuneralhome.net of Huntsville, Arkansas. The family will receive friends from 5:00 P. M. to 7:00 P. M. on Tuesday at the funeral home.

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Earl Dwain Watson

October 4, 1933 - August 17, 2017